English sentence with words. Sentence in English

Our life depends on a huge number of conditions, and this is reflected in our speech. In English and Russian, sentences that begin with the word “if” are very popular. After all, we say every day that we will do something if something happens, that is, we set a condition.

• I will come, If I'll finish early.
• I'll buy you a radio controlled helicopter If you will behave well.

How conditional sentences are constructed in English

A conditional sentence consists of two parts: a condition and a result. The condition is easy to recognize, it always begins with the word if(If). The result usually tells us what will happen if the condition is met. There are 4 main types of conditionals in English: zero (Zero Conditional), first ( First Conditional), second ( Second Conditional) and third ( Third Conditional). All types use different tenses.

Remember the famous saying: “If only mushrooms grew in your mouth, then there would be not a mouth, but a whole garden.” This is a typical example of a conditional sentence. Mushrooms do not grow in the mouth, that is, the condition is not met, which means, as a result, the mouth cannot be a garden.

The condition can be either at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. In Russian, we always separate the condition from the result with a comma. In English, we only use a comma when the condition comes at the beginning.

I'll come if I finish early. – I will come if I finish my work early.

If I finish early, I'll come. – If I finish my work early , I will come.

• There are several more types of mixed conditionals, you can read about them in the article “”.

Zero Conditional - conditional sentences of zero type

This type shows a condition that will always be true: scientific facts, laws of nature, generally accepted or obvious statements. Usually offers with Zero Conditional translated in the present tense because they are always true. Zero Conditional is formed according to the following scheme:

If you cut your finger with a knife, it hurts. – If you cut finger with a knife, he hurts.

Snow melts if the temperature rises above zero. - Snow melts if temperature rises above zero.

Zero Conditional also used to give directions or instructions. In this case, the result will be used rather than Present Simple.

If you don't want to be late, hurry up. – If you do not want be late hurry up.

Take a nap if you feel tired. – Take a nap if You tired.

Watch an interesting video about type zero conditionals:

First Conditional - conditional sentences of the first type

A conditional sentence of the first type is also called a “real” conditional, because it shows an action that is likely to happen if the condition is met. Such sentences describe a situation that will happen in the future tense.

When constructing similar sentences in Russian, we use the future tense in the condition and as a result, but in English only the result will be the future tense, and in the condition – the present.

You will find a good job if you study well. - You you will find Good work, if you will Fine study.

If the weather is good, we' ll walk our dogs in the park. – If weather will good, we let's go for a walk dogs in the park.

Also First Conditional often used when we want to warn or warn against something.

You will get into trouble if you continue to hang out with her. - You you'll get there in trouble, if you continue communicate with her.

If you drink much coffee, you won't sleep at night. – If You will you drink a lot of coffee then you won't sleep at night.

In order to better understand conditional sentences of the first type, we recommend watching this video:

Second Conditional - conditional sentences of the second type

This type of conditional is called "unreal present". It shows an unlikely or imaginary situation that refers to the present or future tense. This situation usually does not correspond to the facts in the present. That is, the chance that this action will occur is small, but not completely excluded.

If I were a billionaire, I would buy an island. – If I was billionaire, I I would buy island.

If I lived in the countryside, I would walk in the forest every day. – If I lived out of town, I I'd like to go for a walk in the forest every day.

This is the responsibility Second Conditional don't end. We also use this type of sentence to give advice.

I would never do this if I were you. - I would never this didn't, if there was you.

If I were in a tricky situation, I would take this opportunity. – If I hit in a difficult situation, I I would use it this opportunity.

Notice one thing about the verb to be. Conditional sentences use one form were for singular and plural. Was- This is a colloquial option, it is often found in everyday speech.

If I were in your shoes, I would make up with her and start speaking again. = If I was in your shoes, I would make up with her and start speaking again. – If I was you, I I would make peace with her and began talk again.

Here is another interesting video that will tell you about the second type of conditional sentences:

Third Conditional - conditional sentences of the third type

The third type is called the “unreal past.” Its whole essence can be expressed in one phrase: regret about the past. Sometime in the past something happened, we regret it, but we can no longer change the event (unless, of course, they invent a time machine). This is the only type of conditional sentence that refers to the past tense.

If I hadn't missed the bus, I wouldn't have been late for work. – If I I'm not late on the bus, I I wouldn't be late to work.

If he had been more diligent, he would have been promoted long time ago. – If He was more responsible, him would for a long time promoted.

Also Third Conditional used when we criticize some actions that happened in the past and which we cannot change.

If you had listened carefully, you wouldn't have made so many mistakes. – If are you paying attention listened, You I wouldn't allow it so many mistakes.

If you didn't left your car opened, it wouldn't have been stolen. – If You didn't leave the car is open, it wouldn't have been stolen.

Third Conditional shows not only the negative past. We also use it when we want to report good events that happened in the past and have positively impacted our present.

He wouldn't have made this discovery if he hadn't done precise calculations. - He wouldn't commit this is a discovery if I hadn't very accurate calculations.

If I hadn't been taken the wrong way, I wouldn't have met you. – If I did not go on the wrong road, I I wouldn't have met you you.

This video will help you understand the third type of conditional sentences:

Please note that there are a couple of typos in the video: the condition in the past didn't happen d And insted instead of instead.

A few facts about conditional sentences in English

1. The basic formula by which conditional sentences are constructed is the tenses of the group Simple+ modal verbs will/would. But she is far from the only one. Band times Continuous and modal verbs can/could, may/might, must, should also found in conditional sentences.

If you are riding a horse backwards, you can fall off and break a leg. - If you are you're going on a horse backwards, you can fall and break your leg.

If you hadn't understood the First Conditional, you should have looked at the example. – If you don’t understand the first conditional, you should have look at the example.

2. Verbs would And had have one abbreviated form - 'd. Always look carefully at what verb is in front of you.

If I 'd known, I 'd have come. = If I had known, I would have come. – If I had known, I would have come.

3. And for dessert, we'll add one more interesting fact about conditional sentences. Inversion is possible in all types. You can read about it in the article “”.

We also suggest taking a look at the table with all types of conditional sentences in the English language discussed in this article. You can also download this table:

Conditional type	How is it formed		Example
	Condition	Result
0 Conditional Real always	If + Present Simple,	Present Simple	If a cat sees a dog, it runs away. If a cat sees a dog, he runs away.
1 st Conditional Real present or future	If + Present Simple,	Future Simple	I will have a cup of coffee if I have a break. I'll have a cup of coffee if I have a break.
2nd Conditional Unlikely present or future	If + Past Simple,	would+ verb without to	If I had vacation in summer, I would spend it in Athens. If I had a summer vacation, I would spend it in Athens.
3rd Conditional Unreal past	If + Past Perfect,	would have + past participle	If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane. If we had taken a taxi, we would not have missed the plane.

(*pdf, 186 Kb)

Now we invite you to take our test to consolidate your knowledge about 4 types of conditional sentences.

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Conditional sentences in English

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Present Simple Tense is one of the most frequently used tenses in the English language. Therefore, immediately after studying the rules of use, it is important to consolidate the Present Simple with example sentences in Russian.

Affirmative sentences

Positive or affirmative sentences form the basis of all tenses in the English language. Why? Because thanks to such sentences, with translation you can consolidate the skill of constructing negative and interrogative sentences.

In Present Simple Tense, endings are added to the verb -s And -es in the third person singular.

• He works at the factory. - He works at the factory.
• Mary lives in Paris. – Mary lives in Paris.
• It snows a lot in winter. - It's snowing frequently in the winter.
• Tomas and I like playing football. – Thomas and I love to play football.
• Steve always arrives at work in time. - Steve always arrives at work on time.
• They often see Tom because he lives near them. – They often see Tom because he lives next to them.
• Children usually like drinking cocoa. – Children usually like to drink cocoa.
• Julia is an artist. She draws very beautiful pictures. Julia is an artist. She paints beautiful pictures.
• I have got a big family. - I have a big family.
• She can speak three languages: Russian, English and Italian. – She can speak three languages: Russian, English and Italian.

It is important to learn how to work with verbs. Therefore, put the sentences above in interrogative and negative forms.

Interrogative sentences

When studying Present Simple, translation of sentences plays an important role. Why? Because it helps to draw an analogy with your native language, understand the topic and consolidate it in practice. How? Easily! Try putting the question sentences below into affirmative and negative forms.

Do/does An auxiliary verb used to ask a question in the Present Simple. But this rule does not apply to modal verbs and construction have got.

Negative sentences

To consolidate the topic, put the sentences below in the affirmative and interrogative forms.

TOP 4 articleswho are reading along with this

What have we learned?

From this article we learned in what cases the Present Simple Tense is used in English. We reinforced this material with examples, and also learned how to construct negative and interrogative sentences in this tense.

English language learners are familiar with the joke: “What happens if you learn the English-Russian dictionary? “You will know English-Russian language”. But, as you know, in every joke there is only a grain of joke, and in reality, no matter how well a person knows only the vocabulary of the language being studied, it will not help him in live communication, because in speech we operate not so much with words as with phenomena higher order - phrases or sentences.

In linguistics, a sentence (Sentence) is understood as a harmonious combination of words (and sometimes just one word), created according to certain grammatical rules and characterized by a single semantic load and intonation completeness.

The sentence, as a complex phenomenon at the intersection of the spheres of influence of grammar and vocabulary, is represented by a rich variety of types and types, distinguished according to various parameters.

Composition of the proposal

As in Russian, a sentence in English is built using a grammatical basis ( and ), “overgrown” with secondary members of the sentence. In this regard, we can talk about common, that is, having secondary members, and non-common, that is, consisting of only a grammatical basis, sentences.

As can be seen from the above example, due to the complex verb forms of the predicate, the grammatical basis will not necessarily consist of only two words. Sometimes in English it is even possible for a common sentence to be shorter than an uncommon one. Let's compare:

Although, complex tense forms of the predicate usually require use in a more detailed context, so such a sentence is rather an exception, found in the intuitive context of a dialogue, rather than the rule.

Types of sentences depending on the purpose of the statement

A sentence can express:

• a judgment that tells about something, in which case we are dealing with declarative sentence (the Declarative Sentence) :

A narrative sentence is characterized by semantic completeness of the statement, falling intonation and direct word order, in which the predicate necessarily follows the subject.

• a judgment that encourages a certain action, thereby expressing a request or order - in this case we are talking about incentive offer (the Imperative Sentence) :

Incentive sentences do not require a subject and usually begin with a predicate expressed by a verb in the imperative mood (the Imperative Mood). At the same time, incentive sentences are often pronounced emotionally, with a descending intonation and are very often exclamatory.

• a judgment that prompts an interlocutor to respond to a specific request for information is interrogative sentence (the Interrogative Sentence) . Most interrogative sentences in English are characterized by inversion– reverse word order, in which the predicate (and more often, the inflected part of the predicate, expressed by an auxiliary verb) precedes the subject. Interrogative sentences are represented in English by five different types of questions, namely:
• general question (The General Question) , which does not contain a question word and requires a Yes/No answer. It begins with an auxiliary verb, followed by a subject and a semantic verb in the required form. A general question is pronounced with a rising intonation. Examples:

Do you like traveling?	Do you like traveling?
Is Jane working in the garden?	Is Jane working in the garden?
Have you been to New Zealand?	Have you been to New Zealand?

• special question (The Special Question) , which begins with a question word (except Who in the meaning of “Who” and What – “What” in the nominative case for the Russian analogue). After the question word, the structure typical for a general question is repeated, that is, an auxiliary verb, a subject and a semantic verb in the required form. A special question in English is pronounced with a falling intonation. Examples:

• question to the subject (The Subject Question) , starting with the interrogative word Who in the meaning of “Who” and Which - “What”, performing the function of the subject. This type of question is distinguished by the absence of inversion and its replacement with direct word order, because after the subject, expressed by a question word, the predicate follows in a form characteristic of an affirmative sentence. That is, the special addition of an auxiliary verb specifically to form an interrogative form (which happens in other types of questions, in particular for the Present Simple and Past Simple tenses) is not required here. The question to the subject is also pronounced with a falling intonation. Examples:

• alternative question (The Alternative Question) , which in its structure differs from the general question only by the presence of the conjunction “or/or” somewhere in the middle of the sentence, the inability to answer it with “Yes/No” and the intonation that rises before the conjunction or and falls after it. Examples:

• separated question (The Disjunctive Question), or a shortcut question (The Tag Question) , which is a small "tail" added to a regular affirmative or negative sentence. It is always translated into Russian with the phrase “..., isn’t it?” or “... isn’t it?” and expresses the speaker’s doubt about the content of the judgment just said. Moreover, the structure of the “tag question” directly depends on the structure of the original sentence to which it is “attached”. Firstly, both parts of such a complex sentence have “reverse polarity”: if the original sentence is affirmative, then the “tail” will be negative, and vice versa, if the original sentence contains a negation, then the dividing question will not contain a negation. Secondly, a disjunctive question is constructed from an auxiliary verb corresponding to the form of tense, person and number of the predicate of the original sentence and a subject repeating the subject of the original sentence, but in the form of a personal pronoun. Examples:

Types of sentences depending on emotional intensity

According to the parameter of emotional intensity, sentences are divided into exclamatory and non-exclamatory. Exclamatory sentence (The Exclamatory Sentence) is intended to convey a certain emotion (admiration, anger, surprise, etc.) of the speaker to the interlocutor. Both declarative and interrogative sentences and, especially often, incentive sentences can be exclamatory. At the end of such sentences an exclamation mark is placed, telling the reader that such a sentence must be pronounced with particular emotionality and some increase in tone, indicating the exclamatory intonation of this statement. Examples:

A non-exclamatory sentence is pronounced calmer, with a lower tone and even sliding intonation. It indicates a calmer attitude of the speaker towards the topic of the statement. Any sentence can become either exclamatory or non-exclamatory, depending on its emotional intensity and the speaker's intention to express this emotional intensity.

Types of sentences depending on the number of grammatical stems

If a sentence contains only one grammatical basis, that is, a subject and a predicate, such a sentence is called simple, For example:

If there are several grammatical bases within one sentence (at least two), then we are talking about a complex sentence, for example:

Complex sentences, in turn, are divided into compound and complex sentences.

Compound sentence (The Compound Sentence) is a combination of two or more relatively independent sentences, independent of each other and connected by a coordinating conjunction or through a non-union connection. Non-union proposals provide for the connection of two (or more) simple sentences within a complex one only through intonation, for example:

By the way, complex sentences can also be non-union, which will be discussed in more detail later. Most compound sentences are connected by coordinating conjunctions(The Coordinating Conjunction) presented in the following table:

Union	Union translation	Example sentence	Translation of example
connecting conjunctions(copulative conjunctions)
and	And	I told her all my secrets and she told me hers.	I told her all my secrets and she told me hers.
as well as…	as well as	We should trust our friends as well as they should trust us.	We should trust our friends, just as they should trust us.
both…, and…	and... and...	Mary intended both to stay a good wife and mother and she dreamed of being a successful businesswoman.	Mary intended to remain a good wife and mother, and dreamed of becoming a successful businesswoman.
neither..., nor...	no no…	Neither the teacher said me the deadline of this project, nor I myself asked about it.	Neither the teacher told me about the deadline for submitting the project, nor did I ask him about it.
not only…, but also…	not only but…	Not only my friends helped me get ready for the journey, but also my father gave me some useful tips.	Not only did my friends help me prepare for the trip, but my father also gave me some useful advice
nor	also not...	Peter didn't want to help us, nor we offered him help.	Peter didn't want to help us, and we didn't offer him help either.
adversative conjunctions (adversative conjunctions)
and	A	I love her and she doesn’t love me.	I love her, but she doesn't love me.
but	But	The teacher was very angry but nobody took notice of it.	The teacher was very angry, but no one paid attention to it.
however	however	That journey cost us a lot of effort, time and money; however it was worth it.	That journey took us a lot of effort, time and money; however, it was worth it.
still	yet	We often have arguments, still we are the best friends.	WE quarrel often, and yet we are best friends.
whereas	whereas	Jack is rather tall and skinny whereas his brother is short and plump.	Jack is quite tall and thin, whereas his brother is short and plump.
yet	nevertheless	It was an ordinary party, yet I enjoyed it.	It was an ordinary party, however, I liked it.
dividing unions (disjunctive conjunctions)
or	or	Put all my things on the right place or I will call the police.	Put all my things back or I'll call the police.
either…, or…	or or…	Either we give you a lift home, or we catch a taxi for you.	Either we'll give you a ride home, or we'll get you a taxi.

Complex sentence(The Complex Sentence) consists of one main, that is, independent, clause and one or more subordinate, that is, dependent on the main, clauses. Subordinate clauses play the role of a certain member of the sentence for the main one, most often - circumstances, and are connected with the main one through subordinating conjunction (The Subordinating Conjunction) or non-union connection. In this regard, in the English language there are several types of subordinate clauses, namely:

Types of subordinate clauses	Subordinating conjunctions and allied words	Example	Translation
Subject clauses (Subject Clauses)	that (what); if, whether; who (who); what (what, which); which (which); when (when); where (where); how (how); why (why)	Whether you leave or stay can change nothing. Why you are so shy and quiet seems to be very strange to me. What they told us yesterday was absolutely true.	Whether you leave or stay won't change anything. Why you are so shy and quiet seems very strange to me. What they told us yesterday, was absolutely true.
Subordinate clauses of the predicate (PredicativeClauses)		This is what I recommended you to do. The matter is whether you are ready to workhard for this project.	This is what I recommended you do. The question is whether you are willing to work hard for this project.
Additional clauses (Object Clauses)	coincide with conjunctions and allied words Subject Clauses	I don’t know what I have to do. Tom asked me where he could go for the weekend.	I do not know what to do. Tom asked me where he could go for the weekend.
Subordinate clauses (AttributiveClauses)	who (which); whose (whose); which (which); that (which); where (where); why (why)	The man who lives next door is an architect. Where is the cheese that was in the refrigerator? That is the reason why I don’t like Jim.	The man who lives next door is an architect. Where is the cheese that was in the refrigerator? This is the reason I don't like Jim.
Adverbial clauses (Adverbial Clauses)
a)places	where (where); wherever (wherever, wherever)	Put your bag where you want. We will miss you wherever you go.	Place your bag wherever you want. We will miss you wherever you go.
b) time	when (when); after (after); before (before); until, till (until); while (while); since (since); as soon as (as soon as)	I’ll tell Paul about Jane’s proposal when I see him. Tom wanted to say Ann something important before he went away.	I'll tell Paul about Jane's proposal when I see him. Tom wanted to tell Anne something important before he left.
c) conditions	if ( If), unless ( if not), in case (that) (in the event that); on condition (that) ( provided that)	If you are free we can go to the park or to the cinema. Mary will study abroad unless she gets a better offer for studying here.	If you are free, we can go to the park or to the cinema. Mary will study abroad unless she receives a better offer to study here.
d) reasons	because (because); as, since (since)	Andy won’t join us because he is very stubborn. Sarah wants to take a year off after university as she is going to travel around the world.	Andy won't join us because he's very stubborn. Sarah wants to take a year off after university as she plans to travel around the world.
d) course of action	as (how); that (what); as if, as though (as if)	She speaks English so badly that we hardly understand her. He always wastes so much money as if he was rich.	She speaks English so poorly that we can barely understand her. He always throws away so much money like he's rich.
e) goals	that (to); so that, in order to (in order to), lest (not to)	Harry was running slowly so that Megan could keep up with him.	Harry ran slowly so Meghan could catch up with him.
g) consequences	that( What), so ( So), so that ( So)	The film was so boring that Tom fell asleep at the cinema.	The film was so boring that Tom fell asleep in the cinema.
h) concessions	though, although, as ( Although); however ( howsoever); whoever ( whoever); whatever( whatever, whatever); even if ( even)	We went for a walk though the weather wasn’t very good.	We went for a walk, although the weather was not very good.

Please note that The future tense cannot be used in subordinate clauses of time and condition., therefore, all tenses of the Future group required by the context are replaced by the corresponding tenses of the Present group.

Types of subordinate clauses (Conditionals)

Depending on whether we are talking about a real or unreal condition, and also on whether it refers to the present, past or future, there are several types of conditional clauses in English, namely:

type of conditional sentence	meaning	used verb forms for main and subordinate clauses	example	translation
null (Zero Conditional)	a pattern that is constantly relevant	In the main one - Present, in the subordinate clause - Present	Ifyou don’t read books you can stay ignorant.	If you don't read books, you can remain ignorant.
first (First Conditional)	real, feasible condition in the future, present	In the main - Future, in the subordinate - Present	If Paul asks me, I’ll tell him my opinion on this matter.	If Paul asks me, I will tell him my opinion on this matter.
second (Second Conditional)	an unrealistic or difficult-to-fulfill condition in the present or future	In the main - would + Infinitive, in the subordinate clause - Past	If I were rich I would spend a lot of money on charities.	If I were rich, I would spend a lot of money on charity.
third (ThirdConditional)	unreal condition in the past	In the main - would + Infinitive Perfect, in the subordinate - Past Perfect	If I hadn’t left my native town I wouldn’t have made such a brilliant carreer.	If I had not left my hometown, I would not have had such a brilliant career.
mixed (MixedConditional)	unrealistic consequence in the present of failed events of the past	In the main one - would + Infinitive (as in the second type), in the subordinate clause - Past Perfect (as in the third type)	If you hadn't deceived your boss so many times you wouldn't have so much trouble now.	If you hadn't deceived your boss so many times, you wouldn't be in so much trouble right now.

The proposed description of subordinate clauses is rather schematic and requires more detailed coverage in a separate article.

Do you want to improve your spoken English? Learning colloquial phrases and expressions is exactly where you should start!

This article contains everything you need in a conversation on absolutely any topic. You will make your speech richer and more varied, and your communication with people more enjoyable and exciting!

Greetings and farewells

Of course, you can always get by with the words “Hello”, “How are you?” and “Goodbye”, but there are also more varied ways to say hello and goodbye, especially in a friendly environment (for example, in a group):

How is it going?	How are things going?
How's life?	What's up?
How are things?	How is it?
Long time no see!	Long time no see!
What are you up to?	What are you doing?
What have you been up to?	What have you been doing all this time?
See you soon!	See you later!
See you later!	See you later!
Till next time!	Until next time!
Good luck!	Good luck!
Take care!	Take care of yourself!
Talk to you later!	We'll talk to you later!
Until we meet again!	See you!
Have a nice day!	Have a good day!
Have a good weekend	Good weekend
Have a safe trip	Have a good trip
Say hi to...	Give my regards to …
Send my love to…	Say hello... (if we are talking about relatives or close people)

Introductory words

They make sentences more coherent and help the interlocutor follow your train of thought. They also give time to find words without creating long pauses in speech.

In short / in brief	in short
In a word	in a nutshell
As far / as to	concerning
Not to mention	not to mention
First of all/ above all	first of all
What's more	Besides
By the way	By the way
After all	eventually; after all
Just for the record	for reference; so that you know
And so on and so forth	and so on
If I'm not mistaken	if I'm not mistaken
In other words	in other words
On the contrary	vice versa
The thing is	The fact is that
So as to / so that	so that
Either way	anyway
As a rule	usually, as a rule
As well as	as well as
All the same	doesn't matter
On one hand	On the one side
On the other hand	on the other side
Such as	For example
As I said before	as I already said
Believe it or not, but	believe it or not, but
If I remember rightly / If I recall correctly	If I remember it right

Ways to express agreement or disagreement

There are many shades between “yes”, “no” and “maybe”. If you want to avoid direct refusal or, on the contrary, express your enthusiasm, these expressions will help you:

Perhaps	Maybe, maybe
Of course / Sure	Certainly
Definitely	Definitely, definitely
Absolutely	Undoubtedly
Naturally	Naturally
Probably	Probably
You are right	You're right
It can hardly be so	This is unlikely to be the case
Very well	Very good
Most likely	More likely
Most unlikely	Hardly
Not a bit	Not at all
I believe so / suppose so	I guess that's true
I doubt it	I doubt
No way	No way, no way
Exactly so	Exactly
Quite so	Quite right
I agree with you	I agree with you
I am afraid you are wrong	I'm afraid you're wrong
I'm afraid so	I'm afraid so
I'm not sure	Not sure
I don't think so	I don't think so; hardly
In a way / to a certain extent	In a sense
No doubt	Undoubtedly
I'm in / I'm game	I am “for” (in response to a suggestion to go somewhere or do something)
I think I'll pass	Better without me
Deal!	It's coming!
It's a great idea!	Great idea!
Not a very good idea	Not a good idea
I'm looking forward to it	I'm looking forward to it

Polite phrases

Always nice in any language. Rest assured, your interlocutor will appreciate knowing these phrases, whether it be a thank you, an apology, or just a simple courtesy.

I'm so sorry!	I'm really sorry!
I beg your pardon!	I'm sorry!
I’m sorry, I can’t.	Sorry, I can't.
Sorry, I meant well.	Sorry, I wanted the best.
It's very kind of you!	It is very kind of you!
Thank you anyway!	Anyway, thanks!
Thank you in advance!	Thanks in advance!
Don't mention it!	Do not mention it!
May I help you?	Can I help you?
No problem / that’s ok!	Everything is fine!
Don't worry about it!	Don't worry about it!
This way, please!	Here please!
After you!	After you!

Ways to keep the conversation going and respond to what is said

Undoubtedly, the most popular colloquial reaction is the word “Really?” Depending on the intonation, it can express a variety of emotions, from sarcasm and irony to surprise and sincere delight. But, of course, there are other ways to show interest in what is being said:

What's the matter?	What's the matter?
What's going on? / What's happening?	What's happening?
What's the trouble?	What is the problem?
What's happened?	What's happened?
How was it?	So how? (How did everything go?)
Did I get you right?	Did I understand you correctly?
Don't take it to heart.	Don't take it to heart.
I didn't catch the last word.	I didn't understand the last word.
Sorry, I wasn’t listening.	Sorry, I listened.
It doesn't matter.	It does not matter.
It is new to me.	This is news to me.
Let us hope for the best.	Let us hope for the best.
May I ask you a question?	Can I ask you a question?
Next time lucky!	Better luck next time!
Oh, that. That explains it.	That's it, that explains everything.
Say it again, please.	Could you repeat it, please.
So that’s where the trouble lies!	So that's the thing!
Things happen.	Anything can happen.
What do you mean?	What do you have in mind?
Where were we?	Where did we leave off?
You were saying?	Did you say something?
I’m sorry, I didn’t catch you.	Sorry, I didn't hear.
Lucky you!	What a score!
Good for you!	So much the better for you! (In this phrase, a lot depends on intonation; it often implies sarcasm: “Well, well, I’m glad for you!”)
I'm so happy for you!	I'm so happy for you! (But this is said absolutely sincerely)
What do you know!	Who would have thought!

They attach great importance to speaking skills. The classical methodology, in which translation exercises played a significant role, has become a thing of the past. It has been replaced by a communicative technique, which is aimed at the possibility of communication and pays special attention to speaking and listening comprehension. But, nevertheless, classical translation exercises can significantly help in learning English and you should not abandon them completely.

Let's take a closer look at the benefits of such exercises.

Benefits of translation exercises

How to do translation exercises

Examples of exercises for translation from Russian into English

Here is an example of simple texts for translation, which you can find in the online English language tutorial website. As part of this article, we provide you with the English and Russian versions of the text (we gave the most literal translation), as well as its audio recording. You can test yourself by first making an English-Russian and then a Russian-English translation of the text and compare them with the original. You can also try to record the translation of the text without relying on the written version, that is, by listening to the recording. The choice is yours.

Curiosity
A little boy looks at his mother at a wedding and says:
“Mom, why is the girl dressed all in white?”
His mother replies:
"She's the bride
and she's wearing white because she's happy
and this is the happiest day of her life.”
The boy nods and then asks:
“Okay, why is the guy wearing all black?”

Listen to the exercise "Curiosity"

Curiosity
A little boy looks at his mum at a wedding and says,
“Mummy, why is the girl dressed all in white?”
His mum replies,
“She is a bride
and she is in white because she is happy
and this is the happiest day of her life.”
The boy nods and then asks,
“OK, and why is the boy dressed all in black?”

Family
My name is Lima.
I am 16 years old.
I'm in 11th grade.
I am American.
There are five of us in the family.
My mother's name is Jane.
She is a housewife.
My dad's name is Thomas.
He is a sales manager.
My younger brother's name is Tom.
He is 10 years old.
My younger sister's name is Kerry.
She is only 5 years old.

Listen to the exercise "Family"

Family
My name is Lima.
I am sixteen years old.
I am in the eleventh form.
I'm American.
We are five in the family.
My mother's name is Jane.
She is a housewife.
My father's name is Tomas.
He is a sales promoter.
My younger brother's name is Tom.
He is ten years old.
My younger sister's name is Kerry.
She is only five years old.

London
London - Capital of the UK.
This is one of the largest cities in the world.
London consists of four parts: the West End, the East End, the City and Westminster.
The City is the oldest part of London, its financial and business center.
Westminster is also an important area of ​​the capital.
This is the administrative center of London.
West of Westminster is the West End, London's wealthiest area.
To the east of Westminster is the East End, the industrial area of ​​the capital.
The Queen's official London residence is Buckingham Palace.
The changing of the guard ceremony takes place every day in its courtyard.

Listen to exercise "London"

London
London is the capital of Great Britain.
It’s one of the largest cities in the world.
There are four parts in London: the West End, the East End, the City and Westminster.
The City is the oldest part of London, its financial and business centre.
Westminster is also an important part of the capital.
It’s the administrative center of London.
To the west of Westminster is West End, the richest part of London.
To the east of Westminster is the East End, an industrial district of the capital.
The official London residence of the Queen is Buckingham Palace.
The daily ceremony of the Changing of the Guard takes place in its courtyard.

Online translation exercise

Conclusion

Let's summarize. Translation exercises from Russian into English are very useful. They perfectly develop thinking and contribute to the development of several skills necessary for successful language acquisition. By translating Russian texts into English, you create an excellent basis for spoken language. Some phrases that you have translated can be remembered as patterns and used in oral speech.

The Lim English online learning service is a great way to learn English. Translation exercises are an integral part of our methodology. In addition, training on our site provides an excellent opportunity to develop English listening, reading and writing skills.